Love Makes A Family: Transitions
by Helena Mira
Summary: This story is something of a sequel to the episode "I Think That I Shall Never See." It follows up the story of Mrs. Kaufman the lady who allowed the children to build a treehouse in her tree. She helps Nanny make a transition of her own.


_This story is something of a sequel to the episode "I Think That I Shall Never See." Among other things, it follows up the story of Mrs. Kaufman (played by Ellen Corby, who later became famous as Grandma Walton), the lady who allowed the children to build a clubhouse in her tree, which was then threatened to be cut down by the city. It begins the second part of the "Love Makes A Family" series._

_I do not own these characters and make no profit from them._

**Transitions**

Life in the world of Nanny and the Professor was moving into a new phase. The time of great stress and anxiety about whether Nanny would stay with the family permanently or leave forever had finally passed. Cholmondeley Featherstonehaugh left a few hours after he discovered that his betrothal was nothing more than a slip of paper that had no real power to bind him to his intended. Quixotic and eccentric as he might be, he still had his pride and dignity. Phoebe had made it eminently clear that she was in love with Professor Harold Everett. Although he himself was not deeply in love her, he had a brotherly fondness for her. His romantic nature had certainly been in love with the idea of being in love and playing the hero come to rescue the fair damsel from her grief and distress.

Perhaps even fifty years ago, this might have been a solid foundation for a marriage in their very traditional world, but not in the modern world where Phoebe had chosen to settle. Once he was finally able to see into her true heart, he realized that there was no way that his feelings for her even came close to what she had found with the Professor. He didn't entirely understand them, but he knew that their power could only have come from the heavens.

With not too many regrets, because now he would be able to indulge in his own wanderlust as he searched for his true bride, he made his goodbyes and departed. He was not yet ready to settle down and envisioned himself on a sort of quest throughout the world for his "true love." It was an image that pleased him. No one was sorry to see him go. His romantic and boyish charm had worn thin on all of them. Although Trelawney and the Professor had initially been the first two to be bothered by him, after a few days everyone had had enough.

Emmeline offered to stay a bit longer to help set everything in the house back in order. Since school had just let out for the summer and all the kids were home the household would be very busy until everyone had settled into a summer routine. Nanny gratefully accepted her offer. Once the crisis point had passed, while she felt great relief, she was exhausted. Her grief for parents had drained her of many of her emotional reserves. This in turn meant that her physical resources had also been spent. She still slept poorly and ate with little appetite. Often she found her mind drifting purposelessly along. Although ever present and solicitous of the family's needs, it took more energy than ever to meet them.

The Professor was aware that, despite her quiet joy and the security of knowing that there were no longer any obstacles to the fulfillment of their love, she also needed rest and was still grieving deeply. Emmeline had the strength to cope with the demanding physical needs of the family, as well as providing a buffer for Nanny when it came to some of the issues with the kids. He wished that he could convince her to step back a little from her responsibilities with them and take more time for herself. It seemed that no sooner had an issue been resolved with one, than another one cropped with one of the others. And he wasn't thinking with his own interests in mind. If she needed, he would happily give her space to pull herself back together.

But she didn't seem to want that either. If he was home and she wasn't busy, she sought his company. If she could have his full attention, she liked to sit and listen to him talk about his day, although she didn't have much to say herself. She was careful not to disturb him while he worked. He discovered that she was content to sit on the couch in the living room sewing or knitting if he left the dividing door to the study open. It was a little more noisy that way, but if she found it comforting, then it was fine with him.

The children, with the exception of Trelawney, all bounced back quickly. They were now secure in the family's future, so for all intents and purposes, their worries were over. Trelawney seemed as anxious as ever. He had thought that once Mr. Feathers was gone that she would regain her former spirit, but that didn't happen. Once the excitement of her meddling and scheming had died down she retreated into herself again. She was not intractable like before, but she was subdued. Whatever was going on in that little head, it seemed that neither Emmeline nor Nanny could discern it. Not for the first time he wondered if she wasn't depressed. Knowing how much it would upset Nanny to bring it up, he brought his concerns to Emmeline.

"Hmm," she said thoughtfully. "I guess it's possible. Or it's growing pains. I'm pretty sure it would be useless to take her to a counselor. She always be thinking two steps ahead of him, or her."

"I thought of that," answered the Professor. "No way to turn it off, is there?"

"Well it's not like 'it' has an on-off switch," explained Emmeline with a smile. "But of course, it really takes a conscious choice on your part if you want know want to know what someone else is thinking or be aware of whether the phone or doorbell will ring. Could you imagine the constant chatter inside your head if you couldn't maintain some kind of control? No, you actually have to focus on the other person, but sitting alone with a counselor, under protest I'm sure, she would not be cooperative and probably do her best to drive him, or her, crazy."

"That's what I was afraid of," said the Professor with a grimace. "Is there any other family member that you could call in to help?"

"I'll think about it," replied Emmeline thoughtfully. "For the past couple of years she has become a much more private person. We had put it down to being like Phoebe, who as you know is very private. However Phoebe has lived much more in the outside world. Surrounded by family as she has been, Trelawney has not had the same motivation for keeping to herself so much."

That answer had to satisfy the Professor. As soon as the girl read his suspicions, she even withdrew from him. Yet having known him to be an ally in her campaign against Cholmondeley, this break in trust meant that she lost what little balance she had achieved. Her emotions became more erratic. She was sad one minute and angry the next. Almost always she ended up in tears. Even the ever patient Francine began to find her trying. It didn't take much to set her off and one day the Professor inadvertently walked into a minefield.

He was looking through his desk and came upon the small box that Mr. Feathers had given Trelawney. He was tempted to open it up himself and see what was inside, but he suspected that even if he did that, he wouldn't know what he was looking at. So he called the girl into his study. The minute she saw it in his hand she reacted. She looked as if he had shocked her with an highly charged electric volt.

"Would you like to open it now?" he said gently.

Her eyes were large and she shook her head.

"What would you like me to do with it?"

"Get rid of it! Burn it! Destroy it! I don't care!" she cried.

Seeing her upset, he quickly threw it back in the desk and reached out for her, but she was gone. As always, she ran off to Francine's and within a short time the phone rang. Knowing that it was Mrs. Fowler he tried to answer it before Nanny could, but of course she got there first. Mrs. Fowler went on a tear about the hysterical child, something about a box, and the need to get her some kind of help.

"That child needs some kind of counseling before she does harm to herself!"

On the other extension, Hal told her to mind her own business, slammed the phone down, and went to find Nanny. She was standing in the kitchen still holding the phone. He took the phone from her hand and took her in his arms. She began to helplessly sob. Walking in, Emmeline, knowing that her cousin was very upset, took one look at them and said that she would keep the children out. Like several times before, once the floodgates were open there was nothing else to do but let her cry it out. Holding her gently he whispered over and over "I love you" and "It will be all right, I'm here, I'm here for you always. We'll take care of her, don't worry."

He wished that she would scream, or throw something, or somehow release the pain and the anger. A temper tantrum like one of her sister's would probably do her a lot of good. As he had been the one to set off Trelawney this time, he thought that she should really be angry with him. He somewhat understood this kind of grief, it went deeper that mere sadness. Like Trelawney, she was set off easily, but seemed incapable of directing her anger, if she even acknowledged it. It occurred to him that in all the months that she had been with them, she had never lost her temper. And the only arguments that she had were with Trelawney who had a unique relationship with her.

But now she only wept and when she finally calmed down apologized for being a bother. How to convince her that she was no bother? It seemed impossible. She was so used to being in the role of the strong one, she didn't even know where to begin to allow him to take care of her.

****

To try and figure things out for himself, he began talking to one of his friends in the psych department at the university on his own. Although technically he was just looking for advice, truth be told, it was more like counseling. He laid out the whole story of how events had fallen out from the death of Phoebe's parents to the drama with her ex-fiancé.

He told all about Trelawney and how the orphaned girl had come to live with them. He didn't hold anything back and described her problems with Hal, her problems in school, the dreadful issues that she seemed to have Mr. Feathers, and her present behavior. When he was finished he said,

"I just don't know what to do for Phoebe any more, and Trelawney only makes things worse. She seemed to be okay right after 'Feathers' left, but then she just seemed to slide into this funk. She wants to be around me, but she doesn't talk much. Then it seems like the smallest thing can set her off into floods of tears. She doesn't eat much and her cousin tells me that she's not sleeping well."

His friend Dr. Philip Meyers listened and took a few notes. After he was done talking he leaned back in his chair, steepling his fingers, as he was deep in thought.

"Well, Hal," he began. "It seems as if you are looking for a diagnosis. Without talking to her myself I am reluctant to say anything too definitively, but I do want to get something right. Her parents were killed in a sudden, violent accident?"

"Yes," said Hal. "It just came right out of the blue."

"Hmm," he said. "This may not just be a case of her feeling profound grief. Finding out about their deaths so suddenly could also have provoked what we call post-traumatic stress. This was fairly closely followed by another trauma, when her sister went missing and it sounds like the arrival of the ex-fiancé made matters even worse. The poor appetite and insomnia, the fragile emotions, and the occasional disorientation all point to that. If she were my patient, I'd recommend talk therapy, may be even a pill."

"I doubt very much that she'd agree to either of those," replied the Professor.

"No, I don't think so either from what you tell me. I think that you've been smart to play your relationship with her at a low key for the moment. If she had that to focus on, it would distract her for a while, but sooner or later she'd have to face up to her issues. I suspect that the same is true of the girl. Once the excitement of scheming to bring you and Phoebe together was over and school ended she had too much time to ruminate on her own unresolved issues. It might do both of them some good to bring them into grief counseling together," he finished. "I don't suppose that that would work either."

"Trelawney would probably be even more resistant than Phoebe. She's a very stubborn child and very volatile right now. And at the moment she is not very happy with me," he replied.

"Why is that?"

"I wish I had a better idea," said Hal with a sigh. "First she was mad because she figured out that I was considering sending her for counseling. Then there was that gift from Feathers."

"What gift?"

"If only we knew. When he gave it to her, it really upset her. I found it a couple of days ago and tried to give to her again and that sent her flying next door to her friend's house, which resulted in the very disturbing phone call to Phoebe, which was finally what brought me here. It's back in my desk. I haven't looked inside, but I have a feeling that even if I know what it is, I still wouldn't understand what is bothering her about it," he answered.

Meyers agreed, "Whatever it is, it is probably something that only has meaning for the two of them. The best action that you can take with that now is to keep it hidden."

"She asked me to destroy it."

The doctor was thoughtful. "I don't think it's a good idea to do that. Things could come up later that we may be able to make sense of if we have it."

"Now I feel like you're being evasive," said Hal with a touch of annoyance.

"You're right, I am," he admitted. "But I wouldn't even hazard a guess as to what the problem is with the child, unless I can speak with her directly. And you have essentially told me that that is not at all possible."

"No way."

"How old did you say she was?" asked the doctor.

"Almost eleven."

"Well, part of that is the age. She's about to hit that very trying part of adolescence. It's tough for all girls to go through, but she's already starting off at a disadvantage. Maybe you could convince Phoebe to come in with her. If she thinks that she's doing it for the girl, it might be easier to get her in."

"For reasons that I cannot even begin to explain to you," said the Professor. "Not even Phoebe could convince that child to come in and cooperate. And even if we did get her here, you cannot imagine how difficult she would be. And it would only upset Phoebe more. I think that she realizes how troubled her sister is, but doesn't know how to deal with it. And I suspect that in the place where she comes from these sorts of things are always handled within the family."

"There is only one other thing that I can think of," said Dr. Meyers. "You could ask Phoebe if she would be willing to come in for some pre-marital counseling with you. No offense Hal, but it probably wouldn't hurt."

Hal thought about it, but he didn't think that there would be any good way of approaching Phoebe with it. She was so sensitive at this time, he knew that she would take it as a bad reflection on herself or worse. And he suspected that in her world, any kind of counseling just wasn't done. He wanted her to lean on him more, but he didn't want to undermine her self-confidence. Yet, she couldn't do it all alone any more. Private person as she was, the new level of sharing that was required to make a marriage work meant that she would need to open herself to him even more. She didn't seem to realize this at all.

But she must. If they were to share their lives then she must allow herself to depend in him. He certainly depended on her. If she wouldn't let him close enough to help her now, what would happen in the future when even more trying things could happen? And what about all the issues related to Trelawney? Her own feelings were so bound up in the girl that there was no way that she could step back and view the situation objectively. He thanked Dr. Meyers and said that he would see what he could do.

Emmeline saw him struggling and tried to help him. He tried to explain to her how helpless he was beginning to feel when it came to Phoebe.

"Give her time, Professor," she said soothingly. "All this is new. She depends on you more than you know. Remember that I share a bedroom with her. She wakes up sometimes in the night calling for you."

"Why don't you come for me?" he asked.

"That would be playing with fire. Now that Cholmondeley's out of the way, it's not an issue of her being free or not. But there are too many risks involved with you coming to her bed, in the middle of the night, to comfort her. And I can't stay indefinitely," she replied. "It's better this way. Once you are married there will be plenty of time for that. And I don't think that it would be good for either of you to rush into marriage at this point."

He knew of course that she was right, but it didn't make him feel any better. He kept hoping for a change, something to help shake her out of melancholy. He knew that she and Trelawney both needed some kind of change of pace. He wanted to do something, but he didn't know what. Thankfully Emmeline promised to stay until things had improved. Then one day, hope came walking in the door, in the form of his son Hal.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

He was working the study one afternoon when he heard Hal come in the door. Phoebe was nearby in the living room doing her own work as usual.

"Nanny!" he said. "Do you remember old Mrs. Kaufman?"

"Yes of course. She's the lovely old woman who lives on Oak Street near your clubhouse," she answered. She was sitting in the living room knitting. As had become his custom, the professor had the dividers open to the study so he was able to hear the conversation.

"Yeah," said Hal, "But she won't be able to live there much longer. Today a couple of us guys went to see her because she hadn't been outside in while. A strange lady came to the door and said that she was her niece. She said that Mrs. Kaufman had a stroke and she couldn't take care of herself any more."

"Oh, no!" The Professor could hear the catch in Nanny's voice. He knew how fond she and Mrs. Kaufman were of each other. Even after they had succeeded in convincing the city planning commission to save the old tree where the kids had built the clubhouse, Nanny still went over frequently for tea. The upset at home had meant that she hadn't been over in a while. He was concerned that this might be another setback.

"I can't believe it," said Hal. "Her niece told us that she was going to have to move into a nursing home."

Hearing no response from Nanny, the Professor decided to see for himself what was happening. Entering the living room, he could see that she was sitting lost in thought, while Hal didn't seem to know what to say. Sitting beside her, the Professor put his arm around her shoulders and almost involuntarily she rested her head on his shoulder. He asked Hal,

"How bad was the stroke?"

"I'm not sure," said Hal. "We couldn't go in and talk to her, but her niece said that it was mostly her right side. She has trouble walking and using her right arm."

Turning to Nanny the Professor said, "Why don't you walk over yourself, Nanny? I'm sure that she would like to see you. If you want, I'll go with you."

"I think I'd like that very much," said Nanny. "I feel bad now that I haven't seen her in so long. I would like it if you would come with me too."

"Of course," he said soothingly. Almost forgetting that Hal was there, he stroked her hair and kissed her softly on the forehead. It was intended to be a sweet gesture. She looked up at him with gratitude and smiled a little.

"I'd call first," suggested Hal, fidgeting uncomfortably at the adult demonstration of affection.

As a young man making his own discoveries about how the opposite sexes related with one another, even these innocent gestures between them made him feel odd. In spite of himself, he sometimes wondered how they behaved with one another when they were alone together. He hoped that when they were finally married that he would be able to put it out of his mind. Something told him however that it would not be long before Nanny was pregnant, and the thought of what might happen between them as a prelude to THAT made him extremely uneasy.

"That way you know that the niece will let you see her," he added somewhat weakly. He hoped they couldn't tell what he had been thinking.

"I'll call right away," said his father getting. As he stood up, Nanny held his hand and for another second a gaze passed between them. Hal realized that some private communication was taking place that only they knew of. Unnerving as it was to him as a new teenager (he had only just turned thirteen), he knew that it meant that they were very much in love, and that made him feel good.

Hal followed his father over to his study. Before he picked up the phone, the Professor looked back into the living room at Nanny who had picked up her knitting. Hal saw the concern in his eyes. His father said quietly,

"Thanks for telling us, Hal. It will be good to have a reason to get Nanny out of the house and think about something new."

"I figured that she'd want to know anyway," answered Hal. "But I also had kind of the same idea. She's just seemed so sad lately"

Hal then decided to try to defuse some of the concern that his father was obviously feeling at his observation, "Dad, if you don't mind my asking, why are you still calling her Nanny?"

"It's really only around you kids," said the Professor. "Part of it is habit, I guess. Since you all still call her Nanny it seems to make sense."

"Well," said Hal with a little smile, "You haven't given us a reason to call her anything else."

The Professor thought for a moment and then answered, "I think that you're ready to understand this, Hal. Nanny, or Phoebe if that makes you happy, has been through a lot. She needs some time to recover. The fact that Emmeline is still here should tell you that much. She's planning to stay until . . .Phoebe . . .is ready to manage things herself. I just don't want to push her."

"I understand, Dad," said Hal. "And it's okay if you want to call her Nanny. I'll tell the other kids."

"So you've discussed it?" he hadn't even realized until this point that they had noticed.

Hal grinned. "Of course!"

The Professor shook his head and picked up the phone. It was like living life in a fishbowl. What would these kids think of next?

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

It turned out that Mrs. Kaufman's niece, Mrs. Thompson, told him that her aunt would be only too happy to see them. So the Professor arranged to go over the next day. Prudence wanted to go too and cut some flowers from the garden to bring, but he didn't want her to come along. The impression that he got from Mrs. Thompson was that Mrs. Kaufman was reluctant for the children to see her, ill as she was.

The next day, he convinced Phoebe to leave her hat and cape behind and take the short walk on his arm.

"I'm mighty proud of you," he said warmly. "I can think of no better way to show the world, than to take my love on a stroll through the neighborhood."

She blushed charmingly and happily took his arm. It felt like the most natural thing in the world. He enjoyed the way that she seemed to be leaning on him for strength. He had to admit that he was pleased when they ran into a couple of their neighbors and he was able to nod a greeting. Neither asked but they smiled knowingly. No doubt, thanks to kids, word had gotten out about the drama in the last few months and the impending changes in the Everett household. When they entered into Mrs. Kaufman's house, the dear familiar voice called,

"Why it's Nanny! And it looks like she brought her professor with her."

They entered the living room where she was seated in a large easy chair. She held out her hands and Phoebe took them. The women looked at each other fondly.

"Mrs. Kaufman, I was so sorry to hear of your illness! If I had known, I would have come earlier," said Phoebe.

"Now Nanny, I know that you have had many things on your mind. There is no reason for you to become bothered with an old woman like me," she answered.

"But suppose I want to be bothered, I have missed you, you know," replied Phoebe.

"Well I've missed you too. But it doesn't look like you have been taking very good care of yourself, dear." Despite the stroke, Mrs. Kaufman was as sharp as ever. As an older person who had essentially seen it all, she always said what she meant in no uncertain terms.

Phoebe shifted a bit uncomfortably in her seat, however the Professor tried to help her by saying,

"Well, there's been a lot of upset in the house, especially recently. Now that all the children are home for the summer, things are even busier. They don't seem to be able to keep out of each other's business, and the bickering has become almost constant."

"Well then, why don't you enroll them in some summer activities to keep them occupied, and away from each other, at least during the day? There are lots of summer programs around. Since I don't get out any more I have been reading a couple of local papers. They seem to be full of advertisements."

"That sounds like a good idea," replied the Professor and turning to Nanny, "What do you think, Phoebe?"

Being that they weren't around the children, he just automatically used her first name. Mrs. Kaufman immediately noticed and didn't pull any punches.

"So, it's Phoebe now. I guess that the rumors are true then," she said with a warm smile.

Nanny returned her smile shyly and said, "It is all very new."

"Well, I think that it's great for the both of you," she replied approvingly. "Professor, you need a wife and the children need a mother. Nanny, you need to settle down and I can't think of a better place for you. I may be old, but I'm not blind. I could always sense that there was something special between you."

Nanny and the Professor looked at each other as if to confirm her thoughts. Now that it was out in the open, Hal automatically picked up her hand and began to caress it. However, they had not come to talk about themselves.

"Mrs. Kaufman," said Nanny. "How are you really doing? Hal told us that you were giving up the house and moving to a nursing home."

"Oh, it's not as bad as it sounds," said the older woman. "People think that going to a nursing home means that your relatives are shipping you off because they don't care. But I don't have any relatives who live in town. I had several offers from the children who live out of town, but I decided that this would be best. I really can't manage alone anymore and this way I won't be a bother to anyone. I'm settled here and I don't want to start over in a new place living in someone else's house. I am hoping to find a nice family to move into this house. My husband and I had so many wonderful years here raising our children, that I would like to see it have a new life with a new family."

Nanny admired the peace and contentment that she had achieved as she was moving towards these very big changes. She was facing a situation that many people face with fear and trepidation, and yet she was calmly accepting her destiny. She wondered how she did it. If only she could come to terms with her own life in this way!

"Nanny, no life is without trials and great changes," said Mrs. Kaufman as if she had read her thoughts. "When you're as old as I am, you learn that changes will happen, tragedies will happen, good things will happen. Since you can't avoid it, all you can do is learn to accept what life brings you, such as it is, and make the best."

"But how do you do that?" asked the Professor. He was very impressed by her wisdom. Having known a great tragedy of his own and now thinking that all that was behind him, he felt a bit of concern for the future. He knew that even once they were past this set of circumstances, there would always be new challenges to face.

"There's no recipe for it," continued Mrs. Kaufman. "Every person and every situation is different. When I first lost my husband, I thought my life was over. It wasn't over, but it was changed. Then one day, I had a gang of kids building a tree house in my front yard! When I first had my stroke, I was very fearful that I might be totally incapacitated. I am grateful that I have gained back as much mobility as I have. It won't be easy to leave this old house, but I see it as moving on to a new adventure."

The Professor watched Nanny as the older woman talked. It was obvious that she was finding some comfort in her words. It seemed to him that this was just what she needed to hear. He was glad that he had suggested that they come over. However all too soon, Mrs. Thompson entered the room and started fussing.

"Now Aunt Matilda," she said. " You need to be careful not to overdo it. I'm sure that your friends will be happy to come back another time."

Mrs. Kaufman smiled. "If they promise to come back soon, I will let them go without complaining."

"Of course we'll be back," said Nanny. "Oh, and the flowers are from Prudence. I know that she would like to visit also."

"I would be happy to see Prudence. Such a sweet little girl to want to spend some time with an old lady when she could be out playing with her friends," replied Mrs. Kaufman.

"Yes, she is," said the Professor proudly. "I believe that it is Phoebe's influence. Now we'll be on our way."

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Walking back, he commented, "I really like the idea of finding activities for all the children. It will certainly be better than constantly trying to play referee when they get on each other's nerves all day. I hope that it's not too late to sign them up."

"Oh, I think that we'll be able to find something appropriate for each of them," replied Nanny with one of her cryptic smiles. He hadn't seen it in a while, and he had missed it. Even if it did mean that some odd coincidences might start popping up.

As they were walking by Mrs. Fowler's house, they heard the familiar,

"Yoo-Hoo! Professor! Can I speak with you for a minute?"

Nanny immediately said, "I have to start dinner."

"Thanks a lot," he replied under his breathe and then turned to their neighbor.

"So what can I do for you today, Mrs. Fowler?"

"Well, Professor," she began. "It's more like what can I do for you. Actually this is something that I should really talk to Nanny about, but since you've forbidden me from speaking with her . . ."

"Yes, I have," he said through gritted teeth, thinking that what she was about to say must be about Trelawney.

"Well, you know that I have enrolled Francine in a summer theatre program down at the community center. She was telling Trelawney about it and the child was most enthusiastic to participate as well. Now, I know that you don't want my opinion about this, but I think that this is the perfect activity to get her out of the house and doing something that she loves. And of course she'll have Francine to help her along. You know, Francine is a budding actress, another Sarah Bernhardt in the making. So I took the liberty of calling the director and she said that she had one more opening. If you call right away, you can get it. Here's the number."

"Well thank you, Mrs. Fowler," he said as he took the slip of paper she offered. "We were just talking about finding activities for all the kids for the summer. You're right, this does sound perfect for Trelawney."

"I knew it!" said Mrs. Fowler beaming. "Now there are a few other things that I could tell you about that poor child."

"Thank you, Mrs. Fowler," he said quickly, "I had better make this call right away, so we don't lose the spot you know."

"Oh, of course," she answered. "We can discuss that another time."

"Or not," he thought as he went into the house and directly to his study. For once it looked like there might be some positive benefit to Mrs. Fowler sticking her nose in their business. Hal was waiting for him, clearly eager to tell him something.

"Can you wait a minute while I make this call, son?" he asked. He didn't leave him time to answer. Hal stood shifting his weight impatiently between his two feet as the Professor made his call and locked down the spot.

"You're lucky, Professor Everett. I just had someone cancel this morning. The program has been filled for months," explained the director.

As he turned to his son, he realized that the young man was smiling broadly.

"Dad, the greatest thing happened," he said scarcely containing his excitement. "Do you remember that groovy science program that I applied for a while back? I got in! Next week I start classes at the high school."

"Hey that's great Hal," he answered, thinking two down, two to go. As usual, once these things started moving, they seemed to gain a momentum all their own.

At dinner that night he was able to give Trelawney the news that she would be joining Francine for the theatre program. At his words, she lifted head up off her hand that she had been leaning and said hopefully,

"Really and truly?"

"Really and truly," he confirmed with a smile. For the first time in a while she smiled and jumping up ran around the table to give him a hug. He patted her back and looked at Phoebe who also smiled.

But they were not done. Butch had news of his own.

"I just found out today that I made the Little League team as a relief pitcher. We get to travel around the state playing."

"I suppose there was a sudden opening," said the Professor looking again at Nanny.

"Yeah, how'd you know?" said Butch. "Billy Carlson broke his wrist and he's out for the season."

"Oh, just a lucky guess," he said casually glancing sideways at Nanny who looked back at him innocently.

Emmeline smiled with relief. "Well, I guess that means that I can be on my way. I'm sure that you, Phoebe, will be able to manage very well, if Prudence is the only one at home."

Prudence looked downcast. "Everyone has something special to do but me."

"Well you can help me at home," said Nanny. "We can visit Mrs. Kaufman and help her move when she's ready."

Prudence considered what she said for a minute and then answered, "It's not the same thing."

Later as they were sitting alone in the living room, the Professor casually commented,

"Amazing thing, how all these opportunities came along right after we decided that we needed activities for kids this summer."

"Why is that?" asked Phoebe, assuming that innocent expression that she always did as things would almost "magically" fall in place the way that she wanted.

She went on to enumerate, "Hal applied for that program months ago. Butch had only just missed the cut for that team; it's really too bad about Billy. And Trelawney had been hinting about doing something with Francine, although she was not very specific."

"I don't know . . ." he began, but they both knew that he wouldn't finish that thought.

"Well," said Nanny with a little smile. "So far nothing has opened up for Prudence."

"I wouldn't be surprised if it did," he answered. He looked at her fondly. She put down her sewing and rested her head against his shoulder as he held out his arm. As she snuggled in, he could sense that she was more relaxed than she had been in a long time. The talk with Mrs. Kaufman had done her far more good than any counselor could.

"Hal," she said reproachfully. "How could you ever think of sending me to a counselor?"

He tightened his grip. "It was because I love you and I was very worried about you. I still am I guess, but it looks like we'll be able to handle it on our own."

She looked troubled again. He turned to her and looking into her eyes tenderly kissed her.

He continued, "There are times when I just wish that you would let go of some of things that wear you down in the house. It's not the housework, but the emotional toll that dealing with the kids can take on you. There is no reason why you can't shift some of the burden to me."

She was thoughtful. "You mean that you want to take on more of that? It wears you down more than me."

"I've thought about this Phoebe," he said carefully. "You were able to manage beautifully when it was just three kids and the zoo. But things have changed. There is another child in the house and you've been through a tough time. I don't want to see you exhausted, both emotionally and physically, by trying to do everything yourself."

She didn't answer him right away, but he felt her move closer. He remembered how he had felt earlier when she had taken his arm as they walked up the street together. She finally seemed to be accepting his support.

"You know Mrs. Kaufman was right today, about facing your trials in life and making the best out of them," he said, as he began to softly stroke her hair. He had discovered that she founded it soothing.

He said then more gently, "I tried it the other way. Not facing them, that is. After my wife died, a part of me refused to accept that she was gone and that things would have to change. You know the mess that that created. And it wasn't until you came into our lives that I realized that it could all be good again."

"So you're saying that you want me to rebuild my life as you did, and that you want to be there to help," she said wonderingly, as if perhaps she was realizing it for the first time.

"It's what I have been trying to say for months. But I think that now you've talked to Mrs. Kaufman, you are starting to understand that sometimes you have to accept your limitations and move on with your life," he answered. "Sometimes when things change, they can't be changed back, so we have to change with them."

She looked up at him. She could see the love and kindness in his eyes. She knew that he was right. He leaned into her and sought her lips for a kiss. She responded with a hunger that she hadn't felt in a while. Sensing it, he intensified the pressure on her lips and his hand wandered idly across her blouse. She felt that inward shift that she always did when he touched her this way. She wrapped her arms around him and drew him closer.

She felt as if she were coming back to life, like a plant that had been dormant through the winter months and was first stretching towards the sunlight. Sensing the response that he hadn't felt in a long time he cupped his hand around her breast and felt it tighten beneath his hand. It was as if she were finally coming back to him.

Then, as he remembered that the children were still awake in the house, he released her slowly from his grip. Reluctantly she let go of his mouth and once again snuggled down into his embrace. She understood the necessity of keeping up appearances. She recalled Hal's reaction to their earlier, more innocent display of affection. Who knew what he would think if he saw this? It was not a moment too soon, because Emmeline walked in.

"Is it safe for me to leave you two in the house alone unchaperoned?" she asked, amused by what she knew that she had just missed.

"We have four chaperones," protested the Professor.

"Four children," corrected Emmeline.

"Who as you well know," said Phoebe, " Are all very curious. I doubt we'll have much opportunity for . . . what you're thinking of."

"Probably not," she said, "But I'm going to chance it and leave anyway. After all this upheaval, I am in need of a good long rest. I'm going to Tibet to visit Cousin Sleeping Lotus."

"Well, I can't think of a more restful place," said Phoebe. She was actually glad that Emmeline was leaving. Helpful as she might be around the house, it was not always easy having another woman there running things. She was also glad that Em was giving herself a much-needed rest. Ironically, she would still not admit that the same was true of herself, and that she needed to give herself a break. But she had Hal, she reminded herself, and that made all the difference.

In true Figalilly fashion, Emmeline left the very next day. When a Figalilly decided it was time to move on, she moved on.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

On Sunday they all went to church. The Professor had to admit that he enjoyed going to church more now that they went as a family. Once again he was able to convince Nanny to leave the cape behind. He could tell that people noticed and were whispering. It was the first time that they had been there without Emmeline. He suspected that they were wondering about the chaperone issue also.

He didn't care. Everyone knew how close the family was. It was also a bit warm for the cape. On the way out, Prudence noticed a sign for a vacation bible school. It hadn't been there the previous week. The Professor asked Pastor Paul about it.

"Oh yes," said the Pastor. "We've never had the money to run one before, but last week we got word of a grant that we were getting from the national church. We were surprised, because no one could remember applying for it. Of course we apply for so many grants that it's easy to lose track. But we're happy to get the money. There are a lot of kids out there with nothing to do this summer."

"Well I know a little six year old girl who now does have something to do," answered the Professor.

"You're enrolling Prudence?" he said. "We'd love to have her."

Prudence was very happy. "And Nanny, it's only a half day so I can help you and Mrs. Kaufman in the afternoon."

"Yes you can, dear," she replied, avoiding the Professor's eye.

Later he tracked her down in the kitchen. Seeing she was alone, he caught her up by the waist and stole a kiss. She responded enthusiastically.

"I take it that this means that the kids won't interrupt?" he said pulling her closer.

"Oh yes," she said. "They're all quite occupied with their own matters."

"Isn't it amazing how things have worked out for all the kids?"

"It's quite a coincidence," she agreed. She had put her arms around his neck and was nuzzling his neck behind the ear. He had the distinct impression that she was trying to distract him.

"You know if I didn't know any better . . ." he began.

But she just widened her eyes and reached up for a kiss. What could he do? There was no way she would explain it, so he might as well kiss her. THAT needed no explanation.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

It didn't take long for the days to take on a pattern. All the kids were out in the morning. Hal was reluctantly teaching summer school as a favor to the department head. After all the support he had given him through the very tough semester that he had just had, he knew that it was the least that he could.

Prudence came home in the afternoons. She and Nanny spent time together doing the sort of mother-daughter things that she had missed out on earlier in her life. Not only did they do work together, but they took little outings. The Professor was pleased by the growing bond between them. It was good for both of them and helped Phoebe to move away from her sadness and move towards the future when the girl would be her daughter in truth.

He was determined that there be no "steps" or "halves" in his home. Trelawney's relationship with the family would always be odd, but the thought had occurred to him that she might let him adopt her as his own. She certainly felt like his daughter. But it was much too soon to even mention it to her or Phoebe.

Dinners were full of the happy chatter of the children as they all competed to tell stories of their day's adventures. Hal was in heaven. His program, which was financed by the National Science Foundation, was aimed at the best and brightest in the country. The focus for the moment was on space travel. Hal had always had a great interest in astronomy and of course he loved to build things. The program provided him with a chance to explore these two interests simultaneously.

Butch was turning into quite an excellent pitcher. He had never been much of a batter, but as a relief pitcher, that didn't matter. He was beginning to accumulate a rather impressive record of saves. Beyond that, he had finally found something that he was much better at than Hal was. He was happier as he carved a niche for himself as the family athlete. His newly found confidence was helping him to mature and grow out of some of his problematic behavior.

Trelawney was thriving in the theatre program. The many acting exercises allowed her to play roles and to become better in touch with herself. She was thriving in the creative atmosphere where her energy and inventiveness were assets. With a productive outlet for her emotions, her behavior began to stabilize at home. Everyone was just glad that she was beginning to feel happy again. Secretly Nanny and the Professor hoped that she would be occupied enough to stay out of mischief.

Despite the competition for "air time," all the kids were so happily engaged in what they were doing themselves that they were willing to listen to each other without envy or sibling rivalry. Mealtimes no longer turned into battlegrounds and both Nanny and the Professor were able to relax and enjoy their own meals.

Nanny found herself becoming more fully involved with Mrs. Kaufman and helping her to move onto the next phase of her life. She found Mrs. Kaufman to be a good listener and found herself exchanging stories about their families. It helped to have someone to talk to about her parents. Since Mrs. Kaufman had lost her own parents many years ago, she could understand not only the loss, but also the feeling of being orphaned, even as an adult.

"Nanny, no matter how old you get, there is a bond with your parents that you will never have with any other people. You will need to watch closely over your sister, young as she is. She has lost that anchor far too young. Despite the conflicts I know that you and she have, you must realize that she is very scared. Once you have your own children, it is going to change your relationship with her significantly. As a mother I can tell you, carrying a child for nine months develops a connection that is impossible to create with anyone else," she told her.

As always, Nanny turned a bit pink at the reference to becoming a mother herself. Mrs. Kaufman pretended not to notice when she veiled her eyes and looked down. She was so different from other women of her age. She had clearly "saved herself for marriage," as they used to say in the old days. She knew that the Professor obviously had much more experience. She hoped that when the time came he would be patient and gentle. Despite being as outspoken as she was, this was a boundary of privacy that even she would not cross. However she could see that the love that the Professor had for this young woman clearly ran deep. She knew that he would be devastated if he hurt her in any way.

As the time grew near for Mrs. Kaufman to move, she began to feel some anxiety. Now it was her turn to lean on Nanny for support. Thankfully, she had incredible organizational skills and generously shared them. She and her husband had lived in the house for many years and there was a lot of stuff to be sorted through. Of course, the trunks in the attic and closets all over were filled with memories. However she would not be able to take much with her when she moved. Things became busy as her children, nieces and nephews started visiting and deciding what items they might want. Thus the family went through first, followed by Mrs. Kaufman, with Nanny helping her, to sort through what might be given away to various charities, then finally there were piles of trash.

At last the day came when Mrs. Kaufman, with her luggage, would make the short trip across town to the Montclaire Home. It was a place for folks who still had a good deal of mobility, but not enough to manage on their own. The Professor offered his station wagon for the luggage and his sons as porters. Mrs. Kaufman would follow with Nanny and the girls in Arabella. It didn't take long to settle her in. Nanny was pleased by how kind and accommodating the staff was there. When Mrs. Kaufman asked if they might join her for lunch she was told that family were always welcome.

"Well good," she said. "Because these nice people are my family."

"When you're ready, I'll show you and your daughter and her family to the dining room," said the director.

Seeing Nanny's face, Mrs. Kaufman patted her arm, "Don't worry dear, I often think of you as my daughter."

Nanny softly smiled, thinking of her own mother, but Mrs. Kaufman once again read her mind, "I don't think she'll mind if I borrow you for a bit."

The care and sweetness in the other woman's voice soothed her. It was true that they had become very close and that would make it easy for others to mistake them for mother and daughter. She looked around at the rest of the family, especially the boys who were always hungry, and suggested that they go to lunch right away.

With the natural curiosity of all children, very shortly after lunch the kids were all over the place. Prudence found a woman to talk to almost immediately and the boys were interested in some of the games that were set about for the residents. It was Trelawney however, who made the biggest discovery.

"Phoebe," she said breathlessly, "Do you know that they have a baby grand piano in the rec room? It's a Steinway!"

"Do you play dear?" asked Mrs. Kaufman.

"Oh yes, but I've never played on a piano like that before!"

"Well then," said Mrs. Kaufman, "We'll just have to see if we can fix that!"

Once again, the spritely woman spoke up. Calling over one of the aides she asked if it was possible for Trelawney to play the piano. The aide asked,

"Well, is she really going to play or just bang on it?"

"Madam, I never bang! Would you care to hear a little Mozart?" asked Trelawney, highly offended.

"I'm sorry miss," apologized the aide, "but I had to ask. Sometimes people's grandchildren come in and just bang away, driving everyone crazy."

Somewhat mollified, Trelawney answered, "I understand. That is no way to treat such a fine instrument."

"Come on Trelawney, play one of your favorites," urged Hal who had come over to see what the fuss was. "She really is amazing," he said to the others.

"I wouldn't go that far, but thanks for the vote of confidence," replied Trelawney.

She made her way over to the piano, sat on the bench, and lifted cover from the keys. Slowly her fingers rippled from end to end, first low to high and then back. She began quietly and then as she became more engaged with the piece began to play a little louder. All the Everetts had of course heard her playing at home before, but the tone of the Steinway was much richer than the old upright. It was also in much better tune. And it was on the baby grand, that Trelawney's talent became more apparent. She was no ordinary pianist.

"Does she take lessons?" Mrs. Kaufman asked quietly.

"She did at home, but we haven't really had time to think about engaging a teacher here. She seems happy enough to play at home for fun," said Nanny.

"You can see by the way she plays that she becomes one with the music. She has such a feeling for it," replied Mrs. Kaufman, and then urged, "You should find her a good teacher."

By now, Trelawney's playing had silenced everyone in the rec room. All were looking at the delicate girl sitting perfectly upright with her hands and wrists at the perfect angle. Her fingers were fluid over the keys and one note melted into the next. One elderly gentleman with a cane slowly made his way over to stand beside and watch her. His eyes followed every subtle movement on the keyboard and he seemed to keeping perfect time with her. If Trelawney was aware that she had an audience she didn't show it. It was obvious that she was lost in the music. As Hal had requested, she was playing the _Andantino_ from Mozart's _Piano Concerto K.271_.

Phoebe had recognized the piece immediately as their mother's favorite. Trelawney often played it at home but on the fine instrument the measures came alive. Tears formed in her eyes as she could almost feel her mother's presence. She felt a hand grasp her own and realized that Mrs. Kaufman could sense her emotions.

"It was our Mum's favorite," she whispered softly.

Mrs. Kaufman gave her hand a little squeeze and nodded. Phoebe knew then and there that it was no accident that Hal had brought home the news of her illness and the Professor had suggested that they visit her. Once again, the hand of God was present in their lives. Mrs. Kaufman was surely her own guardian angel. So wrapped up was she in her own thoughts that she did not perceive her friend thinking same thing. Mrs. Kaufman was thinking that Nanny was an angel of God's mercy sent to help her through this difficult time.

Quietly and without flourish Trelawney brought the piece to close. She suddenly jumped, completely startled as the applause broke out behind her. She had not realized that so many people were listening to her and the loud noise broke into her concentration and frightened her. Quickly turning, she sought out her sister and ran to her arms. As Phoebe held the child, she could feel her trembling. It was amazing how the feisty little girl who not ten minutes before had told off an aide, had changed into the shivering child in her arms.

"There, there," she murmured. "Everyone just loved your playing. It's nothing to be afraid of."

The other adults in the room must have realized how self-conscious the girl had become and went back to their own business. The room began to hum again with noise. The Professor walked over to where Nanny and Mrs. Kaufman were trying to sooth Trelawney. She had calmed down but still leaned against her sister.

"Well Nanny, maybe it's time to take the kids home," then turning to Mrs. Kaufman he said, "We'll be back soon, I promise. I'm sure that our girl here will be eager to get back on that piano."

He ruffled her hair and she gave him a little half smile. He was the only one who was able to get away with that. Nanny nodded in agreement.

"Yes," she answered. "Why don't you round up the children."

Then, turning to Mrs. Kaufman she added, "Now, you have our number. If you need anything, just call."

"You can count on that," Mrs. Kaufman answered and then noticed that the man who had been watching Trelawney play earlier was standing near. "Do you want something?"

"Yes," he said moving forward. Looking at Trelawney directly, he asked, "May I shake your hand? It is a long time since I have heard such a talented artist."

Trelawney reached out and politely shook the hand he offered. She said, "I'm not an artist. I just like to play."

But he shook his head, "You have magic in those fingers, little girl. No one who can make that kind of music is simply playing, she is creating."

Unsure of what to say, she simply answered, "Thank you, sir. It is very nice of you to say so."

Looking at Nanny he said, "Lovely manners, is she your child?"

"No, she's my sister," answered Nanny.

"I could see the resemblance. I hope that you're not offended. Now that I can look more closely, I can see that you're much too young to be her mother. What is your name little girl?"

"Trelawney Rose Figalilly," she said.

"You must be Cornish then," he said and quoted, "And have they fixed the where and when? And shall Trelawney die? Here's twenty thousand Cornishmen, should know the reason why."

"Yes, we're from Cornwall, a little village by the sea not far from Tintagel. How'd you know "The Song of the Western Men"? " She asked, her interest now sparked.

"My late wife was from Cornwall, near Falmouth in the west country. A lovely lady she was and just like you she could play the piano like an angel."

"How sweet of you to say so! And what is your name, may I ask, Mr. . . ."

"It's Jim," he said, "Just Jim, I stopped being Mr. Anything years ago."

"Why 'tis a pity. My Mum and Papa told me told always address my elders as Mr. or Mrs." she said respectfully.

By now the Professor had returned with the other children.

"Time to hit the road, gang," he announced.

Nanny turned to Mrs. Kaufman. "We'll see you soon."

"You better," warned the old woman, "or you'll get that phone call. And bring the children too. Trelawney can play for us again."

"If you like," the girl replied modestly. "Goodbye, Mr. Just Jim."

"Goodbye, Miss Trelawney Rose Figalilly. I will look forward to hearing you play again," he answered.

Pleased by the compliments, she smiled and nodded.

On the way out to the car Butch asked, "Who's Mr. Just Jim?"

"Why that nice old man whose wife was From Cornwall in England. We're Cornish you know, me and Phoebe," she answered.

"No, we didn't as a matter of fact," said the Professor.

"But didn't you notice that my school records came from Cornwall?"

There was silence.

"I guess that means he didn't," said Hal with a chuckle.

"Well," the Professor said, "If I recall, it just had the name of the village or town school. I'm afraid that I don't know enough about the geography of the UK to have placed it by duchy."

"What's a duchy?" asked Prudence.

The Professor looked at Nanny. "I guess you'd call it a county here in the US?"

"That's about the closest you'd get," she agreed.

By now they were at the cars.

"Pick a car and pile in," said the Professor. Looking at all the kids climbing into Arabella he commented, "Anything wrong with me?"

"It's not you Dad, it's the car," said Hal diplomatically. "Arabella's cool, and well, your car is just a station wagon."

"As long as it's just the car that's not cool and not me," he answered.

Prudence giggled. "Daddy you CAN'T be cool. You're a Dad!"

"Does that mean that I won't be cool when I'm a Mom?" asked Nanny as she started up the car.

The kids were silent. They weren't sure of what to say to that one. Finally, Butch spoke his mind with a complete lack of diplomacy.

"Well at the rate Dad is going, you're going to have to wait a long time to lose your coolness."

That remark generated an uncomfortable silence. The Professor looked a bit stunned. Not knowing what else to do, she backed out and began to drive home. Hal noticed that Nanny's knuckles were white as she gripped the steering wheel. Since his Dad had confided in him earlier, he figured that he should say something to smooth things over.

"Butch, you know Dad. Sometimes he just forgets about all this family stuff. Give the poor guy a break. He's not getting any younger you know."

It took all of Nanny's concentration to keep her eyes on the road and not burst out laughing. Trelawney shot her a glance in the rearview mirror and Hal noticed that they seemed to be sharing a private joke. All he could do was shake his head and think, girls!

****

Later that night, after the kids were in bed, Phoebe was surprised to find the Professor in his study, but not working. He seemed deep in thought. Seeking to distract him, she stood behind him and began to massage his shoulders. She couldn't believe all the tension.

"What's wrong, Hal?" she said, knowing how he loved it when she used his first name.

"Don't you know already?" he asked a bit sulkily.

"Only if I want to," she said seriously, turning to the side so that he could see her face. "Right, I want to know what you're thinking, but I also want you to be the one to tell me."

He sighed. "Well it starts with that remark by Butch. The one about my taking too long to "make you lose your coolness", shall we say."

"As far as I am concerned, I have never been very cool, Mom or not. Nor do I feel that you are neglecting me in any way," she said. "I know that you are giving me time to sort things out, work through some things. But that's none of Butch's or anyone else's business."

She leaned in for a kiss and he pulled her down onto his lap. Holding her like that, knowing that her mind, just as his, was completely settled with their marriage and life together as their future, soothed his wounded spirits. She felt him reaching out to her. She felt his desire for her as a woman and she longed to satisfy it. She responded more passionately. As she did, she felt his hands on her again. He seemed to want to explore her and she wanted him to. She wanted him in every part of her being.

"Phoebe?" he called her softly in between kisses.

"Hmmm?" she was fully immersed in the sensation of his hands on her body.

Realizing that he could in no way get her attention while he was doing that, he paused and smiled at her, "Why must always wear these high-collared blouses? It makes it harder for me to get at you."

His fingers began to loosen her collar and unbutton the soft fabric. She had never thought about.

"Modesty, I guess. It makes me feel more comfortable if I don't have too worry about men looking at me like that," she answered. He was finished and had begun to gently push the fabric off her shoulder. The touch of his hands on her bare skin caused her to softly moan.

"Does it worry you when I look at you like that?" As he spoke, since he had also loosened her bra and slipped it from her, he looked at her, admiring what he saw. Phoebe turned a little pink, self-conscious about her looks.

"Only that I might disappoint you," she said softly, looking away.

She felt his arms tighten around her and then his mouth was on her and she found herself gasping at the new sensation. He was watching her face closely, obviously enjoying he response he had generated. Her pleasure aroused him. He wanted her so badly it hurt sometimes, but at the same he didn't want to push her too hard or too fast. He wanted her to have time to come to terms with her newly awakened passionate responses. He wanted to take it slow. Yet at moments like this, when he discovered a new way to pleasure her, he enjoyed observing her reactions.

"My beautiful, innocent Phoebe. As a woman you know exactly what you want. But you but you are still learning about yourself. I want to bring you to it slowly. I don't want to rush you."

He grasped her more tightly in his arms and held her close. "When you are ready to take this step, believe me, you won't need any help. The moment will be right and you won't even have to think twice. We'll take it slow. When the time comes, you will offer yourself to me and I will be there. You'll know, we both will."

He swept her up and was again she found herself lost in his passion. As his mouth trailed off her's and down her throat she shivered. Again, she felt his lips, his tongue on her bare skin. It was tantalizing. It promised physical pleasure that she had never imagined. She grasped him more tightly and begged for more. He gladly obliged.

"Let's enjoy every moment while we have it," he murmured.

Forgetful of everything else, she gave herself up to his kisses, his touch, and his embrace. She knew he was right, the moment would come when she would make the final transition and truly become his wife in heart, mind, body, and soul. And she would be ready.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

A couple of days later, Hal stopped by to see Phil Meyers. As soon as he saw him at the door, Phil got up and shook his hand,

"Come in Hal, it's been a while. How's everything going with the family?" he asked.

Hal smiled. "Not perfect but a lot better."

"Well I've got bad news for you, pal. It's never going to be perfect," he said.

"Yeah, I know," he replied. "But one can always hope."

"I'll grant you that. First of all, how is Phoebe?"

"It's a slow journey, but there's more progress every day. She's much calmer, almost at peace now, and smiles more often. Her cousin left and, much as I like Emmeline, it's always a relief when she's gone. We put the kids in summer activities, and that has taken some of the pressure off. She has a nice routine going. We're even starting to reconnect as, uh, man and woman," he concluded.

"Sounds good. I'm curious. Can you pin down what the turning point was?"

"I think it was when we went over to visit one of our neighbors, an older woman that she had befriended when they were trying to save a tree from being cut down by the city. Anyway, the woman had had a stroke and was getting ready to move into a nursing home. Well before you knew it, Phoebe was right there organizing things and helping her out," he smiled again remembering that first trip over to the nursing home with the carload of stuff.

"So then Phoebe found it therapeutic to help the woman out?" asked Phil curiously.

"No . . . Yes . . . Well, maybe that was part of it. But mostly I think it was listening to the old gal talk about life and transitions and moving on. You know that some of these older folks have seen a lot and been through a lot. Mrs. Kaufman has really made peace with all of the things that she has suffered in the last few years," he explained. "I think that it's really helped Phoebe to gain some perspective on her own life."

"That makes sense. It sounds to me like Phoebe is a very traditional girl. As such, she'd have a real appreciation for the wisdom of her elders. Do you know if she ever talks to the woman about her own life?"

"No, I can't say that I do. I haven't wanted to pry. It seems to me that whether she is or isn't sharing, all that matters is that she is finally coming to terms with her own tragedy and is getting ready to move on," said Hal.

"Well, Hal, I am really glad about how things are working out. The idea of professional counselors or shrinks is really very modern. I suspect that in the old days what we call "talk therapy" today, was just people sharing life's ups and downs. People would see their pastors for advice or just talk to some older and wiser person," he said. "What about her sister, Trelawney is it?"

"She's settled down too. We enrolled her in great theatre program down at the community center. It's been a terrific outlet for her creativity and energy. The director told Phoebe that she has a lot of potential. The nursing home where Mrs. Kaufman lives now has a Steinway that she enjoys playing. I'm told she has a lot of talent that direction too," he replied.

"Hmm, creative type. That does explain a lot. The bad news, Hal, is that if she has an artistic temperament, she may always be a handful."

"Well, we kind of know that," said Hal. "But she has made a new friend there as well. Old fellow, looks to be in his seventies, who married a woman from Cornwall. That's where the Figalillys are from. Apparently his wife was a pianist and he has been encouraging her to play."

"And that explains even more, Phoebe and the girl coming from Cornwall that is."

"In what way?"

"The Cornish are known for being very fanciful and close to nature. They love to tell fantastic stories. And they're very independent-minded. Sound like anyone you know?"

Hal smiled. "Yes it does. Maybe I should do a little research on the Cornish."

"Now I'm not going to say that it's going to explain everything. But it may give you a little insight into her background," he smiled himself.

Hal left the office feeling better. It helped to have his friend confirm everything that he had hoped was true. With love and patience he could help Phoebe see through to the other side of her grief. He knew without any shrink telling him that she would never be able to really step into the future, until she had made peace with the past. He was very thankful that Mrs. Kaufman had been there at the right place and time for his Phoebe. He would have to make sure to tell her that soon.

However, he smiled at Phil's idea that she was a very traditional girl. There were times when they were alone together that she let herself go in some very untraditional ways. Other than the fact that she had never given herself to a man before, it also said a lot about her. If she had ever had these inclinations before, she had obviously not acted on them. There were not many women around her age that could say that. It thrilled him a little to think that it was he who was stirring them up for the first time. He knew that she was very open to exploring her own sexual desires and impulses. In this way, she seemed very modern indeed.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

The days seemed to pass by quickly. The children were thriving in their activities, the Professor stopped grumbling about summer school, and Nanny had more time to herself. She enjoyed her visits with Mrs. Kaufman and was pleased by the way that she was settling in. Always full of life and chatter, she easily made friends with the other residents. Jim, whom Trelawney still called Mr. Just Jim, had cultivated her friendship as a way of spending a more time with the young girl. She would sometimes come and play for everyone, much to the delight of the other residents. Now that she knew that when she finished a piece there would be applause, there were no more outbursts. She also liked talking to the old man. It made her feel closer to home.

Prudence liked to come too. She also enjoyed talking with the residents. She was quite fearless about approaching people and speaking with them. For the residents who didn't have any family to visit, it was great to have an interested listener. She had quickly become very popular. One night at dinner Butch asked her why she liked hanging out with all those old people. He clearly meant to tease, but Prudence didn't care,

"I like hanging out with them because they are much more interesting than young people. They have such great stories."

"Like what?" asked Burch, now curious.

"Like Mrs. Darmstadt from New York City. She told me that during World War II they had air raid drills and everyone had to turn off all their lights until it was over. Her husband was a block warden and would walk up and down the block and make sure the lights were all out. So that the German planes couldn't see the city to bomb it," replied Prudence.

Hal rolled his eyes, "That's ridiculous. German planes back then couldn't reach New York City to bomb it."

"Even she knows that now," said Prudence rolling her eyes in return. "But back then, everyone thought that they could and that's all that mattered."

The Professor gave Hal a look that said, "Cool it, son."

"Hey that sounds kind of neat," said Hal, changing his tone. "What else did she say about the war?"

"Well she said that they had ration books for certain kinds of food like sugar and butter. And the kids all collected scrap metal to make bombs and stuff. And everybody went to church a lot to pray because so many of the boys were away in the war. Sometimes they died and everyone was very sad. After big battles, they would put lists in the newspapers," she continued.

"Well," said Nanny, "War is very sad. In England there were real air raids during the war and London was bombed. Many of our boys went off to fight and died. But the bombing was the scariest. It was so bad that many of the children were sent out to the countryside and even to America to keep them safe. We had rationing too, only I'm sure there was much less food over there than there was here in America."

"Well, I'm sure that you're much to young to remember that. In fact, I don't think you were even born yet," said the Professor. "I bet that your family has told you lots of stories."

Trelawney was looking away from her sister and clearly trying not to laugh about something. Nanny just sat calmly beside the Professor and sweetly smiling nodded. Hal noticed Trelawney and remembered the looks that they had given each other in Arabella when he had said something about how old Dad was.

Trelawney regained control of herself and said, "Mr. Just Jim fought with the Yanks in the Great War. That's how he met his wife from Cornwall. He was injured and she was a nurse in hospital outside London. He said it was love at first sight and after he met his Juliet he never wanted to marry another woman."

"That's very sweet," said Nanny. "So I guess she was a war bride, then."

"Oh yes," said Trelawney. "They got married at home and had a lovely cruise back to the States."

"What's a war bride?" asked Prudence.

"During the wars, quite a few American soldiers fell in love with European women that they met when they were serving abroad. If they wanted to bring them back to America, they had to marry them so they could have citizenship and live in the US," explained the Professor.

"When you and Nanny get married, will she have US citizenship?" asked Butch.

"I never thought about it," he said, "But I guess she will."

The children all looked at Nanny who just said that she hadn't thought of it either, and that it was time to clear the table and do the dishes.

"Boys' turn!" she said cheerfully.

"Oh man," said Hal. "If we have to do the dishes then why don't the girls have to mow the lawn?"

"I don't know," said the Professor. "I never looked at it that way."

"I'll mow the lawn, Daddy," volunteered Prudence.

He looked at her doubtfully. "Maybe in a couple of years."

Later that evening, he tracked Phoebe down sitting outside in the yard. The night was partly cloudy, so there weren't many stars visible. It didn't seem matter much though. She seemed lost in thought.

"Tired? Long day?" he asked as he began to massage her shoulders.

"Oh, that feels lovely," she said. "Not really so bad until I had to clean up the kitchen with those boys."

"Giving you a hard time? I'll have a talk with them."

"Good luck," she said. "They were complaining that if they have to do the dishes then you should too."

Borrowing a page from her playbook, he decided that it was his turn to be evasive. He stopped massaging and bent over. Pulling back her golden curls, he found the "sweet spot" on her neck and pressed his mouth. He felt her shiver. He loved teasing her like this. She never failed to respond. Tonight was no different. When he let go, she stood up and molded her body against his. Now it was her turn to tease. Although he knew that in the beginning she found it a little awkward, she had now learned to enjoy the sensation of his arousal against her. With his hands he pulled her closer and she responded by searching his mouth more deeply.

After a long moment however, she broke her lips away and rested her head against his chest deeply breathing. Feeling a little light-headed himself, he sat them down again on the bench. She snuggled up against him and sighed in contentment. He drew her in close. The more often he held her like this, the more it felt natural, as if they were beginning to fit together. It had been over a month with no crises. The children were happy and they could feel free to steal these moments in privacy, but no longer with the need for any secrecy.

She thought about how their lives were slowly wrapping themselves around each other. While Trelawney still thought of England as home, she found that she no longer could. Hal was her home. The children in time would grow up and move away and live their own lives. But she and Hal would always have each other. She thought of Mrs. Kaufman and Mr. Just Jim at the nursing home and how they had lost their spouses. It was sad, but they had a lifetime and memories and stories to tell. Hal sensed her thoughts, but wanted to hear her speak them.

"Penny for your thoughts."

"You can keep your penny and give me a kiss," she said playfully.

He gave her a quick kiss, but before she could avoid his question, he said, "Now do tell."

She leaned back and looked up at the night sky.

"You know on nights like tonight, it's easy to feel sad because you can't see all the stars. But then you catch a brief glimpse of one and realize that they're all still there, even if they are hidden by the clouds sometimes," she slowly, as if she was trying to express an idea for herself as well as him as to what she was feeling.

Hal was thoughtful. "And sometimes it can be so cloudy that you can't even see any of the stars."

"Yes," she said and fell silent.

"Are you beginning to see the stars again?" he asked, knowing that she would understand what he meant.

She turned to him and looked at him with her deep blue eyes. Despite the dark, he could see them shining.

"I've come to realize that if I ever lose sight of the stars in heavens, all I have to do is look in your eyes. No night could ever be so dark that it could extinguish their glow. I could never be so lost that you wouldn't find me and bring me home," she said softly.

"I know that your love will always burn for me like a candle in the night and if I follow that candle, I will always find my way home. More than my love, you are my home," she could barely finish as the emotion choked her voice.

Hal was deeply moved. He had been waiting weeks for this moment, when the last wall would fall down and she would accept him as the light in her darkness. Sensing his thoughts, she gave him a swift kiss and said, "And what are your thoughts?"

"I was just thinking about how someday we would be able to tell curious children about the day you showed up on my doorstep and it was love at first sight," he said with a mischievous grin, wanting to lighten the mood a little.

"Really? I thought that I nearly drove you mad," she answered.

"Well let's see you talked to animals, you answered the phone and the doorbell before they rang, you believed in the Wiblet, coaxed roses into bloom, and got weather reports from tree frogs," he enumerated. "And pretty much you still do. Now, how can you tell me that it wasn't love at first sight?"

She smiled that cryptic smile of hers.

"And yes, you drove me mad every time I tried to get a straight answer, and all I got out of you was a quote from Uncle Albert or Aunt Mabel or whoever. I've learned to live with that though."

"I've never had an Aunt Mabel!" she replied in mock outrage.

"Well, I'm sure that in time you'll come up with one," he said playfully.

She softly laughed.

"I love to hear you laugh. I've missed hearing you laugh. I am looking forward to many years of your laughter."

She looked up at him. Once again, her eyes shone in the soft light. She was ready to be kissed, but he had one more thing to say,

"You have found your way to me now, Phoebe. You've passed through a very dark night, but the stars have brought you here to my arms. And you're here, and I'm here, and those crazy four kids are here, and we sitting here together in the midst of a barnyard full of animals. It's not perfect, but it's ours."

Of course, she had to have the last word, "Ours."

This time around, he didn't care. Holding her in his arms, she was all that mattered. He could feel the days moving slowly towards the time when they would no longer be two, but one. There would no more "mine" or "yours." There would only be "ours," and that was the way it that it should be. For the first time in a long time, he began to sense the approach of that someday, the day when dreams converged with reality and became a destiny fulfilled.

**The End**

42


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